HOW TO RECRUIT WORKERS

By Jim Wideman

A universal question that I hear from pastors, children's pastors, and children's ministry coordinators is, "How can I get more people working in our children's ministry?" No matter what size the church is or which group they affiliate themselves with, those in leadership have found themselves crying for help and praying to the Lord of the Harvest to send forth laborers. Big laborers, middle-sized laborers, little laborers-any size will do, but they need help.

During most of my own ministry, I found that no matter how many workers we recruited, we always needed more. I would need helpers to fill the places of workers who resigned, and just when I felt I had all the holes plugged with a helper for each teacher, rather than that teacher seeing the recruit as their helper, they sometimes viewed them as their replacement. I began to pile more and more on myself and the few faithful workers I had, and we were all frustrated. No matter how many talents or abilities you might have, trying to do the job alone is never God's best.

Over the past several years, I have followed ten steps that have revolutionized my ministry in the areas of recruiting and keeping volunteer workers. These are the keys we follow at Church On The Move:

1. Start with a vision.

Proverbs 29:18 tells us that where there is no vision, the people perish. Many children's ministries are perishing because there is no vision. A vision is simply seeing something the way God sees it. I know your pastor has a vision for your church, but the children's ministry needs a vision as well.

So get a vision! Take time right now to dream a little in God. Ask yourself what God has called you to do. Get a plan and put it down on paper. Now you are ready for step number two.

2. Give your vision away.

What good does it do to have a vision if no one knows what that vision is? Habakkuk 2:2 tells us to write down the vision and make it plain. Write down your goals and philosophy and the activities you're offering to accomplish those goals and objectives. You'll find that as you communicate and speak your vision, others will be drawn to it. There's nothing as contagious as a God-given, God-inspired vision to cause an epidemic of willing workers.

After I began to communicate that plan, I was ready for the next step.

3. Start with a small group!

When Jesus walked this earth and began to recruit disciples, He gave us an example of how we are to recruit the help we need-to start with one or two people and duplicate your heart. As you pour your heart into just one more worker, instantly you have doubled your work force. You'll also find out that as those you give your heart to begin to tell others, they will have even greater success in recruiting than you could.

You see, if you're in charge, people know you enjoy children's ministry, but when John Doe begins relating your heart and vision, it usually catches other people off guard. They hear the plan and they're hooked. The more people you recruit, the more you must pour yourself into your workers. As the ministry grows, it will be necessary to enlist coordinators to direct groups of workers. You'll pour yourself into these coordinators and then in turn, they must pour themselves into the workers under them.

4. Work hard!

Anything of importance is worth working for. As you begin to help your workers to work efficiently, you'll be able to get more done than ever before. Also remember that as you set the example and work hard before your workers, they'll want to work hard, too. But be mindful never to ask someone to do more than you're willing to do. Set the example of diligence and hard work and they'll follow your lead.

5. Set your standard high.

Be sure to make a list of qualities and requirements for your workers. I believe the kids deserve the best we can give them. You'll never hit what you don't aim for. Aim for God's best. Here's a sample of what we require:

Workers must be in agreement with the tenets of faith as well as be a member of our church. They must make at least a six-month commitment. They must be loyal to the pastor and other church leaders, be faithful to their assigned position, live a separated Christian life, be faithful to regular church services, be neat in their appearance, and have their lives in order. We must recruit workers who can be foundation-specialists for our children, rather than "whosoever will."

6. Check everyone out.

Applications are a great way to help you find out where folks are in the Lord. You can also find out about past experiences. We require workers to list references and we check with past churches and other people listed. Just because I'm short-handed doesn't mean I'm willing to put the wrong person in a slot just to fill it.

Also find out what legal steps are offered to help you run police checks on applicants you do not know.

7. Training is a must.

Everybody does better when they know what you want them to do and how you want them to do it. Make a job description, listing their duties and responsibilities. Go over what you want them to do. Train them in leading a child to Christ. Teach them how to lead a child to receive the baptism in the Holy Ghost.

We offer on-going training workshops and seminars from time to time to our workers, as well as bi-monthly meetings to train and communicate with teachers.

8. Always say, "Thanks."

Why should God give you more workers if you don't appreciate and take care of the ones you already have? I'm thankful that God is building more than a team within the Christian Education Department here at Church On The Move. He's building a ministry family. Family members love one another and must communicate that love effectively. The best investment you could make for your workers is a box of thank-you notes.

9. Communication and fellowship is a must.

Meeting for information is important, but meeting for fellowship is a necessity. I try to plan at least one social activity for every two training events. Also learn to establish lines of communication with your workers. Let them know of policy changes, room changes, and situations that arise.

If the air conditioner is out in their classroom, let them know about this ahead of time. Don't let your workers show up and find this out when they get there. You'll find that as you communicate with them even about small things, they'll communicate back to you.

10. Once you prayed them in, keep praying for them.

Please realize that workers are an answer to your prayer. You asked the Lord of the Harvest for them, so why not continue to pray for them? Pray for a fresh anointing. Pray for creative ideas to flow to them. Pray for wisdom, patience, and clarity of speech. Pray for their family's finances. You'll see a difference in your workers as you continually hold them up before the Father.

As you begin to follow these ten steps, you'll see a difference in your children's ministries. The workers you need are right there. They might not even know it yet, but they're there and Jesus will bring them to you. He is the Lord of the Harvest. If He wasn't planning on sending forth laborers for the harvest, He wouldn't have told us to ask Him for them. He'll give them to you. The workers are yours in Jesus' Name!

Serving as a children's pastor for over twenty years, Jim Wideman is widely known for his puppet ministry, creative sermons, and object lessons. Recognized as a leader in children's evangelism, he has shown thousands of children's workers how to teach children to reach out and get involved in ministry themselves. Jim serves as the Christian Education Director at Church On The Move that minister sto over 4,500 children weekly. Church On The Move has grown from 1400 to over 10,000 while Jim has been on staff.  Check out the JIM WIDEMAN MINISTRIES SITE &  the KIDS ON THE MOVE SITE developed with you in mind.  You'll find new Children's Church Curriculum and information on upcoming conferences at Church on the Move and in your area.

You can also E-Mail Bro. Jim at : cmlclub@aol.com